Why Corporate Catering is the Holy Grail (and Why You’re Failing at It)
If you run a cafe, bakery, or catering business in Brisbane, you know the grind. You’re waiting for the morning rush, hoping the weather stays good so people walk through the door, and praying that UberEats doesn't take a massive chunk of your profit this week.
But then there’s corporate catering.
One corporate client can be worth twenty walk-in customers. They order in bulk, they order regularly, and they usually pay on time. Better yet, they often order for Tuesday or Wednesday mornings—the exact times your kitchen is usually quiet.
I’ve worked with dozens of hospitality businesses from Fortitude Valley to Milton, and I see the same thing every time: owners want these big contracts, but they’re going about it all wrong. They treat a $500 boardroom lunch like a $15 walk-in bacon and egg roll.
If you want to stop chasing scraps and start landing the big fish, you need to stop making these five common mistakes.
Mistake 1: Your Website is a Brochure, Not a Salesman
Most catering websites I see are beautiful. They have high-resolution photos of parsley sprigs and rustic bread. That’s nice, but it doesn't get you the job.
An Office Manager in an Eagle Street law firm is busy. She has fifteen minutes to find food for twenty grumpy partners. She doesn't care about your "culinary journey." She cares about three things: 1. Can you deliver to my office at 11:45 AM? 2. Do you have gluten-free and vegan options that don't taste like cardboard? 3. How do I pay?
If your website makes her hunt for a PDF menu or, heaven forbid, "call for a quote," she’s already clicked back to Google and found your competitor.
The Fix: Your website needs to work on phones perfectly. It needs a clear "Catering" button right at the top. Most importantly, it needs an easy way to order or a very simple enquiry form that asks for the date, time, and number of people.
I’ve seen Brisbane cafes double their enquiries just by putting their catering menu front and centre instead of hiding it in a dropdown menu. If you aren't sure if your current setup is actually working, it's worth looking at how people click on your site to see where you're losing them.
Mistake 2: Ignoring the Power of Local Proof
Corporate clients are risk-averse. If they mess up the catering for the CEO’s meeting, it’s their head on the chopping block. They aren't looking for the most "creative" food; they’re looking for the most reliable food.
How do they measure reliability? They look at what other people say.
If your Google Business Profile has three reviews from 2019 and one of them is a 1-star rant about a cold coffee, you aren't getting the contract. When a business owner or manager looks you up, they want to see that you consistently deliver on your promises.
The Fix: You need a system to get fresh reviews. Don't just hope they happen. When you finish a successful corporate delivery, send a quick text or email to the person who booked it. Say: "Hope the lunch went well! If you have a second, could you let others know we looked after you?"
You’d be surprised how much the truth about reviews impacts your bottom line. It’s not about vanity; it’s about showing a stranger that you won't let them down.
Mistake 3: Thinking "Social Media" is a Strategy
I’m going to be blunt: Posting a photo of a muffin on Instagram at 10:00 AM is not a corporate catering strategy.
Your Instagram followers are likely locals who want a snack, not the Procurement Manager at a construction firm in Pinkenba. While social media is great for building a brand, it’s a slow burn for corporate sales.
If you want corporate clients, you need to go where they are. They are on LinkedIn, and more importantly, they are in their offices.
The Fix: Stop spending three hours a week on TikTok dances and spend thirty minutes on "Old School" outreach. - Identify 10 businesses within a 5km radius of your shop. - Find out who handles their events or office management. - Drop off a "Sample Box" of your best sellers on a Tuesday morning. - Follow up with a phone call two days later.
This costs you about $20 in ingredients and an hour of time. One recurring weekly order from a medical centre or real estate office will pay for that a hundred times over.
Mistake 4: Giving Away Too Much to Delivery Apps
I see this all the time in Brisbane suburbs like West End or Paddington. A cafe gets a large catering order through a third-party delivery app. They’re excited until they realise the app took 30% of the total.
On a $600 order, you just handed over $180 for a driver to show up. That’s your profit gone.
Corporate catering should be your highest-margin work because you can plan for it. You know the order 48 hours in advance. You can prep it during slow periods. When you let an app sit between you and a corporate client, you lose the profit and, more importantly, you lose the relationship.
The Fix: You need to own the customer. If someone orders through an app once, make sure there is a flyer in the box that says: "Next time, order direct through our website for 10% off and priority delivery."
Understanding the math of delivery apps is vital. Use them to get discovered, but move heaven and earth to make sure the second order comes directly to you.
Mistake 5: Complicating the Menu
Chefs love to show off. Business owners love to offer variety. But corporate clients want simplicity.
If your catering menu has 50 different items, the person ordering is going to get overwhelmed. If they get overwhelmed, they’ll go to Subway or Woolworths because it’s easier.
The Fix: Create "Packages." - The Boardroom Bundle: Assorted wraps, fruit platter, and juice. $25 per head. - The Workshop Special: Gourmet pies, salads, and brownies. $30 per head.
Make it so they only have to make one or two decisions. "I have 15 people, I want Package A, and 3 people are vegetarian." Done.
The Cost of Getting This Right
Let’s talk money. You don't need a $10,000 marketing budget to land corporate clients.
- Website Updates: If you have a decent site already, making it "catering friendly" might cost you a few hundred dollars in a developer's time or a weekend of your own work. - Sampling: Giving away food is your biggest marketing expense. Budget $50 a week for "Sample Boxes" to drop off at local businesses. - Time: You need to spend 2 hours a week on follow-ups.
The Timeline: You won't land a $2,000-a-month contract tomorrow. But if you start the "Sample and Follow-up" method this week, you will likely see your first new corporate enquiry within 14 to 21 days. Corporate moves slower than retail, but it stays longer.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re serious about growing your catering revenue, do these three things in this order:
1. Check your mobile site. Open your website on your phone right now. Can you find the catering menu in under 5 seconds? If not, fix it. 2. Google yourself. Search for "Catering [Your Suburb]." If you aren't in the top three results with at least a 4.5-star rating, you need to start asking your regulars for reviews today. 3. The "Tuesday Drop." Pick three businesses near you. Make a box of your best-selling catering items. Walk it into their reception tomorrow. No hard sell, just: "Hi, I’m [Name] from [Business] down the road. We’re launching a new corporate menu and wanted to give your team a taste. Here’s my card if you ever need a hand with lunch."
Most Advice is Rubbish
You’ll hear people tell you that you need to run expensive Facebook ads or hire a "brand consultant." For a local Brisbane caterer, that’s usually a waste of money.
Corporate catering is built on trust, reliability, and being easy to deal with. If you show up on time with good food and a clear invoice, you’re already better than 80% of your competition.
I’ve seen a small bakery in Morningside go from struggling with rent to needing a second delivery van just by focusing on the local industrial estate. They didn't do anything fancy; they just made it easy for those businesses to buy from them.
Ready to Grow?
Landing corporate clients isn't about luck. It’s about building a business that looks professional and acts reliably. Most of your competitors are too lazy to do the footwork—they just wait for the phone to ring.
If you want to be the business that everyone in your area calls for their Friday lunch or their monthly board meeting, you need a plan that actually works.
At Local Marketing Group, we don’t care about "likes" or "engagement." We care about your phone ringing and your bank balance growing. We help Brisbane business owners get more customers without the technical fluff.
If you want to talk about how to get more corporate bookings for your business, reach out to us at https://lmgroup.au/contact.